Season of mists . . . and all that

I think it was Wordsworth who wrote about "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom friend of the fast maturing sun", but, whoever it was, I bet he didn't write that on an August day! This month is well on the way to being the least sunny August since sunshine records were first kept in 1929. Not that we have had over much rain. There has been some, but mainly we have had cloudy, overcast skies. Today, however, is different. A bright sun in a clear blue sky, with temperatures at present about 23 or 24 Celsius. The forecast for tomorrow is rain.

But to get back to the season of mists and whathaveyou. That poem is entitled 'Ode to Autumn' - and autumn seems to be fast approaching. Already the leaves on our cherry trees are turning and falling, and I noticed this morning that the leaves on the sycamores and beeches in the park have started as well.

Autumn has started - and it's still only August!